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by Kristopher Buttafoco

Youth EB Picks: Mixed Blood Majority from Radio K

May 6, 2013 in GPRX Blog by Kristopher Buttafoco

Screen Shot 2013-05-06 at 1.29.54 PM

I’m going to start this with no hesitation like the guys in Mixed Blood Majority, from the start of the song “Fine Print” the beat comes on thick with a hypnotic feel to it. Then, the vocals come on aggressively with some groove, really riding these beats well. Next, comes “Hallucination Music” which has the chorus that is still stuck in my head, bringing melody of the woozy chords and the hard chanting with a lot of depth to it. In the interview, these guys seem pretty laid back with their stories of rap records and brunch.

The interviewer asked good questions considering the length of the interview, but I would’ve liked to hear more about where to hear more of them and who each of the guys are and their role in the group, but this interview definitely covered good ground. Finally, to end the piece with a bang I hear “Still Standing Still,” in this song the abundant percussion jumps around my headphones with the heavy piano driving the beat, and the vocals starting with laughter but then quickly jumping in with some strong vocals and my favorite “Still, still, standing, standing still, killing time awaiting on a plane to make a crash landing.”

Mixed Blood Majority brings a lot of energy and some depth to it also. Laserbeam’s producing is strong and with lots of percussion panning across the sound scape. The two rappers ride the beat with energy, keeping it fresh as the beat pulls you in. Most of all these guys like brunch like me. Keep up the good work Radio K and Mixed Blood Majority.

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by A.D. Quig

Youth EB Picks: Have You Ever Been Waiting from Youth Media Project

May 2, 2013 in GPRX Blog by A.D. Quig

Waiting


This piece from Youth Media Project is a touching collection of stories. Each one is short and simple, beautifully written, and accompanied by expertly curated music that matches each story’s tone. I can picture each of these in my mind perfectly — the kind face of a grandmother, the coastline, little girls flitting about in their tutus, and a lone picture on a wall. The descriptions are not too lengthy, the stories are not too earnest, and the narration holds my attention with perfect footholds for thought in between. The answer to this question is yes — we’ve all been waiting for something — but maybe not for moments as profound as these.

Of the many multi-voiced, almost vox pop styled pieces I’ve listened to on this site, this has to be one of my favorites. It’s most notable for its global voices (from Tanzania, Canada, United States, and Uganda) that unite under one theme – waiting. Like a condensed “This American Life,” it connects disparate tales in a way that immediately conjures memories and emotions. It lingers long after the first listen.

Other producers can learn from many of the timing decisions made in this piece. Each of the four segments last just around a minute, the pauses between them aren’t distractingly long, and the music fades are artful. When pieces like these rely almost entirely on copy, it’s key that the recording of the narration is the best it can be so the listener can focus on the words, not the audio quality. This piece doesn’t necessarily fit perfect into any one type of programming, but it stands very well on it’s own.

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by A.D. Quig

Youth EB Picks: 10 Years Since Iraq from War News Radio

April 2, 2013 in GPRX Blog by A.D. Quig

Satellite image of Iraq in August 2003

For those of us still creating youth media, the 10 years the U.S. spent in Iraq has lasted for a huge chunk of our lives. We’ve all been affected, one way or another, by the political decisions of the Bush years, and the lasting impression on the Obama administration. It’s hard for people our age to cover these issues — not just because we can’t hop on a flight to Baghdad, grab a fixer, and stick a microphone in someone’s face, but because it’s just hard to cover war in the first place. Part of our job is to identify conflict and present both sides, but things get much more complicated on a geopolitical scale, and without much prior experience. But it’s still important that youth producers give it a try — and that’s what WNR does in this piece.

It’s difficult to commemorate an anniversary like this and try to cover a decade in half an hour. 10 years is a long time, and a lot has happened in the US, Iraq, and the Middle East since 2003. Regardless, WNR managed to revisit a variety of issues in their broadcast, with lots of voices that many of us wouldn’t otherwise hear – doctors, humanitarian workers, and Iraqis.  The most compelling portions of the piece were the reports of human rights abuses, and the stories of the doctors — it’s always interesting to hear from people with boots on the ground, and how the rest of the world reacted to their experiences.

Though the classic “I told you so,” does less good today in the case of the humanitarian crisis, the fact that a generation of reporters are aware of these canary in the coal mine situations is extremely valuable for future international reporting. What kinds of things are we hearing out of Syria? Egypt? Afghanistan and Iraq? I’m sure this reporting experience not only gave War News Radio some good lessons in finding sources and working through the tough spots, but also gave them a passion for issues-based reporting on an international scale. I have no doubt that given more resources, this team could very easily produce some of the most unique and much-needed reporting that others in our generation can connect to. They’ve already opened my eyes to a handful of stories I wasn’t hearing from a decade of reporting, and I’d like to hear more. It’s been 10 years, but this isn’t the last thing we’re going to hear out of Iraq.

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by A.D. Quig

Youth EB Picks: What Are Little Boys Made Of? from RadioActive Youth Media

March 4, 2013 in GPRX Blog by A.D. Quig

photo-4 (1)This piece about growing up transgendered is just the kind of thing the youth media landscape needs — peers talking to their peers about their part in big news. Not just because Cayden’s story itself is big news — in fact, to his family this transition was just a matter of time — but because it’s ordinary news that makes big issues easier to understand. It’s a microcosm of a larger community that people would be well served to get to know better. Stories like this from CNN, or this from the LA times, or this from MTV, are probably just the beginning of decades of coverage on transgender issues. If we have an upcoming generation of reporters who can handle stories like Cayden’s with creativity and earnestness, then I’m excited for more coverage of transgender life down the road. These kinds of stories deserve continuous noise in the new media landscape.

A great story that cracks the door open on the reality of transition inside a family – from kid to young adult, and from girl to boy. I could easily picture Cayden’s room, his smile, his childhood; but also his transition – injecting himself with testosterone, standing in front of a mirror dreaming of a mustache, and playing Ken.

This story has a good use of scene setting and clip choice, with easy flowing writing and fantastic audio quality. My only gripes are that the story got a bit wordy around the 4 minute mark and lost the charm of Cayden’s everyday life. If Nina could have talked to Cayden’s doctor, Dad, teacher, therapist, or “showed” us instead of “telling,” this story would have been darn near perfect. This is a very solid, longer form, human-driven piece that would fit nicely into a sexuality, youth focused, or gender issues programming. A great exploration of an under-covered topic. It’s well worth a listen (and maybe a re-listen).

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by dylan

Youth EB Picks: Coming of Age ‘Illegal’ from MPR News

January 10, 2013 in GPRX Blog by dylan

Nineteen-year-old Brenda from Minneapolis, Minnesota considers herself an American citizen, but to the US government she is an illegal immigrant.  Coming to the US when she was seven, she was carried over the Mexican-American border by her mother.  Now, twelve years later, she lives with her mother, stepfather, sister, little brother, older brother and his son.  She had to quit school a month before graduating so she could work to help support her family, but has since gone back to finish her education and wants to go on to get a job working with children.

This was a well-crafted and interesting piece, with great interviews and an inspiring story.  The only problem I had was after the mother’s interview; it was a little confusing, but it made more since later on in the story.  All in all, though, I found this to be an excellent presentation.

 

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by A.D. Quig

Youth EB Picks: UNBELIEVABLE! from American Student Radio

January 7, 2013 in GPRX Blog by A.D. Quig

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In the winter of 2008, I made the four hour trek from my hometown down to Bloomington. The drive was bleak, the landscape was gray, and the radio signal got pretty weak somewhere between Kokomo and Indianapolis. But I was going to see Eric Gordon and D.J. White at my first Indiana University basketball game. 5 NCAA Championships. 53 All-Big 10 selections. The only undefeated champion season in college men’s basketball. Royalty.

Gordon ended up scoring 28 points, I experienced the best timeout in college basketball, and didn’t have an ounce of vertigo in the balcony of Assembly Hall. In short, the experience made me a lifelong fan.

But with true loyalty comes necessary tragedy. Kelvin Sampson was let go in a recruiting scandal. Potential players fled. My first three years at IU were a hard slog through coaching transitions, dashed recruit hopes, and infuriating losses. But by my senior year, we were on our way up, and the game against #1 ranked Kentucky solidified that Hoosier Basketball was back on top. This story from my alma mater captures some of that electric feeling that fans got back.

This is an emotional, fan-driven episode with fantastic, layered production, solid writing, and great host banter. There’s always a great story in athletics, and #1 Wildcats v. the comeback-kids Hoosiers is certainly one of them. With some more hard information, this episode could fit easily into any long-form sports or human interest programming.

Other than shortcomings in background, the nearly flawless production, great voice work, and clip selection really brought me back. I was immersed in Hoosier hysteria. It took me from an IU School of Journalism classroom to Afghanistan, to the floor of Assembly Hall, to a back corner at Nick’s. Robb and Ryan effectively show how a fan’s connection to a team is almost transcendent (cue Radiolab effects). Great use of natural sound, nicely scattered fast paced transitions, and thoughtful writing. I would have also liked some hard evidence of the impact that that game had on IU, rather than just anecdotal. The Wat-Shot got an ESPY and a drink named after it. We made it to the Sweet 16! We were 1st ranked this season! Home games are packed now! People wear IU gear to ND v Purdue games! It was certainly a big deal. This production team brings it home emotionally, but I’d like some of the harder stuff to back it up. Overall, a fun listen that most NCAA b-ball fanatics and Hoosier fans would drool over.

 

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by Connor Parker

Youth EB Picks: In Preparation For Sleep

January 2, 2013 in GPRX Blog by Connor Parker

Imagine having to begin again if you make a mistake. When doing anything, even something as simple as getting ready for bed. “In Preparation For Sleep,” by Sarah Lawrence College Radio, spotlights the difficulties of struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder in a brilliantly artistic piece that is definitely worth a listen.

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by dylan

Youth EB Picks: London Teenager Campaigns for Autistic Adults

December 26, 2012 in GPRX Blog by dylan

London Teenager Campaigns for Autistic Adults from Deutsche Welle.

London teenager Bella Tommey‘s vision for autistic people to have the job opportunities they deserve comes from her relationship with her younger brother, Billy, who has autism.  She recognized that autistics had talents and strengths overlooked by most people and she set out to change their perceptions.  Billy’s Café was born. Named after her autistic brother, Billy’s Café is a series of popup cafes where people can meet, mingle and be served by autistic people.

This story had excellent sound quality, great editing and wonderful music to help set the tone.  The only major problem I found with the piece was the ending.  The story cuts out in the middle of what sounded like the last sentence, but all in all I found this to be an interesting and inspiring story that can help teach people more about autism, and maybe even inspire them to do something good for their community like Bella Tommey has done for hers.

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Avatar of Connor Parker

by Connor Parker

Youth EB Picks: What We Are Thankful For by City High Radio

December 3, 2012 in GPRX Blog by Connor Parker

November is a month during which we all think about who and what we are thankful for in our lives, and I got to listen to a piece that embodies this spirit. “What We Are Thankful For” by City High Radio gave me a chance to hear what other kids are thinking about this holiday season, all while making me think about the age-old question myself: “What are you thankful for this year?” Everyone can use a little deep thinking like that, as it yields a sense of appreciation that works wonders leading up to the generous and philanthropic month of December. So check out this piece and think about what you’re thankful for this year.

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by Christina Rucker

Youth EB Picks: Cindy’s Brain from KCRB

November 6, 2012 in GPRX Blog by Christina Rucker

Cindy’s Brain, from KRCB Voice of Youth:
Piece description: Ever wanted to get inside someone else’s head? Well, click here to step outside of yourself and inside the audio guide to the 13 rooms making up Cindy’s Brain.

I think this piece has different moods, I’m assuming because Cindy shows the different parts of her brain from her point of view. I love how in part two of her brain tour, we hear the sounds her little brother makes and how happy he makes her. She reminds me of myself and how my life flows sometimes. From her brother’s laugh, to the imaginativeness of her piece, Cindy’s Brain is an interesting piece.

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